Athlete Spotlight: Stephanie Mirante
 Paul Guillotte/file
Stephanie Mirante
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 Drury High seniorNo. 31 Forward |
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| When did you start playing football? Age 7 What was your first basketball team? Deep Associates in the NAYBL Favorite basketball player: Allen Iverson Favorite basketball team? University of North Carolina men's and women's team Best memory of playing basketball so far? 'Playing at the Cage in my freshman year.' |
With four starters returning to this year's squad, there were many capable candidates to step up and shoulder the scoring load. While all of the returning Blue Devils have certainly done their part, senior captain Stephanie Mirante has made the biggest leap this season. With Mirante averaging 14 points a game, Drury is off to an impressive 5-0 start.
Mirante, a small forward with a quick release, has looked for her shot more this year. Whether it's curling around a screen and shooting a foul-line jumper or navigating around the perimeter looking for an open 3-pointer, Mirante is pulling up and shooting without hesitation. She was second on the team with a 7.8 scoring average last year, but has nearly doubled that total in her senior year.
"I'm definitely shooting with more confidence," Mirante said. "I think everyone feels like they have their own jobs to do this year, and I think we all are getting our individual jobs done better than we have in the past. Losing Taylor means that we need to find those 25 points a game, so I think everyone is stepping up and scoring more than they did last year."
Mirante was at her best last month in the Gene Wein Holiday Tournament, where she earned MVP honors on her way to leading the Blue Devils to a pair of wins over Commerce and Mount Greylock. She averaged a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds in the tourney and currently leads her team on the glass by pulling down seven boards a game. Not bad for someone who has had to step up her game on the offensive end this year.
Although she's been making headlines early on this season, Mirante is quick to point out that it's been a complete team effort that has helped Drury win its first five games. DeSanty had to pull the scoring weight last year but now that the other four starters are more experienced, the Blue Devils appear to be a much more balanced and complete team this season."I think that we all equally score and we're an all-around better team than we were last year," Mirante said. "We all feel that we are working better together on the court and in practice. You can really see it on the defensive end. I think having Danielle [Racette] and Cassie [Lincoln] in the backcourt really helps our defense. They are quick enough to guard anyone in the county this year."
With a swarming team defense and Mirante shooting the ball with confidence, the possibilities could be endless for the Drury girls this season.
